g Diapers

Anyone ever heard of them? I found out about g Diapers through friends and have been doing some research on them. g Diapers are a hybrid diaper -- 1/2 cloth & 1/2 disposable. The exterior diaper is cloth and they have disposable (flushable!) liners that you put on the inside. You can either flush the liner down the toilet or toss them in the trash; the best part is that if you toss them in the trash, they biodegrade in 50-150 days. Did you know a disposable diaper can take 500 years to biodegrade?

You only have to wash the exterior cloth portion if it gets 'dirty'. We were thinking of trying them out for awhile to see if we like them. A starter kit is relatively inexpensive and if we don't like them, it's not a big deal -- if we do, then great!



Check out their website: http://www.gdiapers.com/ Does anyone have any experience with them?

Week 27 -- Start of the 3rd Trimester!!

How baby's growing: Baby girl is really starting to get big! This week she weighs almost 2 pounds (think a head of cauliflower) and is about 14.4 inches long with her legs extended. She can now open and close her eyes, and she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. She may suck her fingers, and although her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if she were to be born prematurely. Any rhythmic movement I may be feeling can be chalked up to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on (I felt these for the first time last week!). Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to her, so I enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what she's thinking?

Today is the start of my 3rd trimester and I can't believe the pregnancy is already two-thirds over! The time is just flying by (do I say this every week??). The uncomfort level is slowly increasing. Laying on my back is definitely not a possibility anymore....my lower back is also starting to hurt. I can say that I haven't started the 'pregnancy waddle,' and hopefully I never will! I honestly can't complain too much though, I have been enjoying the pregnancy more than I imagined. Feeling baby girl move inside is just amazing and I will definitely miss it once she's here! Although I'm sure those little coo's and other baby noises will completely make up for it.

I measured around my belly this morning and it was still 34" -- so I guess that 1" growth last week was enough for this week too! My belly button hasn't popped yet, but it's just about level with my belly now, so it won't be long :-)

Road Trip

This past weekend, we took a road trip to visit friends in Delaware and Maryland. The trip there hit a milestone for us...our Cavalier hit 100,000 miles!

We stopped to visit our old neighbors and enjoyed chatting about what's been going on with them and their daughters since we left. Little Reese got so big (she's almost 3 now) and she is FULL of energy. After that, we drove to our friends' in Delaware and got to see baby Esther for the first time in almost a year. She is now 14 months old and so big -- almost walking! We got some valuable tips on things we'll need (and not need) for our baby girl.

Sunday, we drove down to Baltimore to go to a friend's wedding tasting. It was very fancy and the food was pretty good -- Chris and I are both looking forward to their wedding in August! That night we visited with some more friends and caught up on everything that's been going on since we moved away. We had plenty of laughs -- I definitely got a good ab workout -- along with lots of great food.

Thank you everyone for making our weekend so fun :-)

Requested Pictures

Does my belly look bigger under my maternity clothes? You decide. The first pictures was taken at 25 weeks 2 days. The second two were taken at 25 weeks 4 days, on Valentine's Day.

Week 26

Baby Girl's Development this week: She weighs about 1-2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches from head to heel. Her weight will more than triple between now and birth as she rapidly puts on baby fat. She'll need that fat to help adjust to colder temperatures outside the womb and as a source of energy and calories in the first days of life. It's not uncommon for newborns who are breastfed to lose weight (sometimes as much as 10 percent of their birth weight) in the first week after birth. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air.

This has been a HUGE week for growth -- and when I say that I mean it! I measured my abdomen on Sunday morning and it was 34"....you read that right. It's an entire inch bigger than just one week ago! Amazing! I know that baby girl is in a growth spurt right now, which means that so is my belly.

I also felt hiccups for the first time this past week :-) It was just about 5 of them, but I knew they were hiccups because they were right where her head is and very rhythmic. I haven't felt them since then, but I know they'll be back.

Week 25

How Baby Girl is Growing: Head to heels, she is now 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for a more rounded one. As baby girl gains weight, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more like a newborn. Her hair is probably recognizable now in color and texture, although both may change after she's born.

This week my belly measured 33", which is 1/4" more than last week, although it feels like she's gotten SO much bigger. It's now hard to get a deep breath sometimes and it's getting more and more uncomfortable to lay down in certain positions, but I've got quite a ways to go -- 15 more weeks to be exact.

Another milestone happened this week...I was sitting at my desk at work and baby girl was kicking so much in one particular spot. So, like I usually do, I pushed back. But this time, when I pushed, I felt a distinct round, long bone...I'm pretty sure it was her leg! I'm sure she recoiled her leg as fast as I pulled my hand off, mostly in shock. I've been wondering when I would be able to feel her body parts and that time is now here!

Also, we had another midwife appointment this week. I got my blood pressure checked and it was normal. I don't have any swelling (good!) and the fundal height of my uterus measured 24cm, which is exactly how many weeks I was -- so perfect. After that, we scheduled our next appointments and went on our way.

Have a great week everyone :-)

Week 24 -- Month 6 Begins!

Baby Girl's Development this week: She's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. Baby girl can hear more now, and she may even startle at loud, sudden noises. But she's probably getting used to the regular noises she hears around the house, such as the kitties meowing or the roar of the vacuum cleaner.

I can't believe that month 6 is here already, but that is our reality! The weeks are flying by as we continue to work on the house and nursery to prepare for baby girl. Chris has been doing an amazing job working on the stairs and they should be done before long. Baby girl has been kicking away and often times my stomach is bigger on one size or the other depending on where her body is in there. Also, I've been feeling some kicks way up high and the entire way on my sides. The largest part of my abdomen measured at 32 3/4" this morning, which is 1/4" bigger than last week.